Colts Lose Key Safeties, Need Defensive Reinforcements

0:00On March 12, the Indianapolis Colt's defense is facing another big hole this off-season after losing two key safeties in free agency. Starting strong safety Nick Cross signed a two-year deal with Washington on Wednesday, and back up Rodney Thomas II is heading to the Seahawks, according to a league source. This comes on top of existing needs at defensive end and linebacker, making the secondary of fresh priority as the first waves of free agency wrap up. Thomas saw 150 defensive snaps last season, mostly in three safety sets, where he racked up 21 tackles as an extra deep, defender. Fans and analysts are pointing out how these moves leave the Colts thin in the back end, forcing general manager Chris Ballard to hunt for, reinforcements quickly. With training camps still months away, expect the Colts to target affordable veterans or dive deeper into the draft to shore up this growing list of defensive gaps.